Apparatus for pumping.



No. 675,859. Patented .lune 47 |90l. E. M. LAING.

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING.

{Applichtion led my 23, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoot I.

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No. 675,859. Patented lune 4, |90l.

E. M. LAING.

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING.

(Application Bled lay 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Shoots-Shoot 2.

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UNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. LAING, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- TIIIRDS TO JOHN P. MILLER AND .IOIIN IV. LAING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,859, dated June 4, 1901.

Application tiled May 23.1900. Serial No. 17,623, (No modemy To rr/ZZ whom, if 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. LATNG, of Highland Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in pumps of that class in which air under pressure is forced downwardly upon the surface of the water in the well, thereby elevating the water or the like in the pum p-barrel.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation and partly in section of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly broken away, of the pump-barrel and air-chambers located on each side thereof. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a scction taken on line -i 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section partly broken away and taken through the upper valve-box of the pump-barrel and air-chambers.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates a motor of any preferred form, that herein shown being a steam or gas engine.

IE indicates an air-forcing pump of any desired construction.

C indicates an air-pressure tank adapted to receive the air under pressure from said forcing-pump Band to deliver the same to the air-chamber ofthe pump-barrel D. Said air-pressure tank C may be of any desired form and construction, the only requisite being that it be of sufficient strength to maintain the desired pressure. The pump-barrel D is designed to be sunk below the level of the water in the well and is provided with a central delivery-pipe D, extending from near the lower end thereof upwardly to the point where it is desired to deliver the water or other iiuid which it is desired to pump from the well. As shown, the said pumpbarrel consists of a tube or pipe D, of any desired diameter, preferably constructed of iron or steel and of sufficient thickness to withstand the desired pressure. Within said pump-barrel are two longitudinal radial partitions d d, which may be constructed integral with the inner wall of said barrel and with the outer wall of said delivery-pipe D',

which, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, is lo- 6o cated axially of said barrel. The partitions may be constructed in any desired way to form a joint impervious to air between said partitions and the barrel and the deliverypipe, so that within the barrel is formed two entirely independent and separated airchambers D2 D, as indicated in Fig. 5. Said chambers have no communication with each other within said pump-barrel. The lower end of said pump-barrel is provided with a plurality of inwardly-opening valves d', hereih shown as spring-pressed to normally close openings d2 in the end of said pump-barrel and adapted to be lifted by the action of the intlowing water or other fiuid to uncover said openings. Thelower end of said delivery-pipe is provided with similar openings c e on each side of said partitions, and the same are similarly opened and closed by spring-pressed valves c e', which open upwardly to admit water within the delivery-pipe D. As shown, the lower end E of said delivery-pipe is flared outwardly, or, in other words, is in conical form. Through the slanting sides thereof are openings c2 @2, each of which is covered with inwardly-opening valves c3. As shown, said valves are spring-preesed; but it is the purpose to so adjust the said valves by any desired means that the same will present no obstacle to the inflow of Huid from said airpressure chambers D2 D3 to said delivery-pipe D', but will eifectually prevent iiow in the reverse direction. At the top of said pumpbarrel B is located a valve-box F, having the same diameter as the said pump-barrel and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner, but preferably by means of rivets f or the like. The said valve-box is provided at its upper ends with a closed head or casing f, integrally or otherwise rigidly secured thereto to forni a tight joint with the side walls, and at its lower end islikewise provid ed IOO with a similar tight head or end f2, extending between the same and said pump-barrel. The said valve-box is also provided with a partition f3, extending diametrically across the same and corresponding with the partition in the pump-barrel, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. Said partition divides said valvebox into two separate chambers F F2, respectively, and corresponding with and located directly above the chambers D2 Dg of the pump-barrel. The said valve-box is also divided diametrically by a partition f1, extending from said delivery-pipe, on either side thereof, to the side walls of said valve-box at right angles to said main partition f3. The said valve-box is provided with two valves f5 f, one on each side of the partitionfii, said valves covering suitable openings j" in the head f2, which openings communicate with the airchambers D2 D. The said valve f5 is spring-pressed; but it is obvious that the same lnay be gravity-acting or be controlled by any other desired means, the purpose being to so adjust the valve as to permit free access of the air from the air-pressure chamber of the pump-barrel into the corresponding chamber of the valve-box.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and the partition]4 has laterally-extended walls forming pockets or recesses Ff3 FL therein, which open toward the valves ftfl'. These pockets or recesses are each provided with tapered apertures in the upper and lower walls thereof, forming valve-seatsff. The valves fnfb are balanced valves and are connected together by a valve-stem f1@ and are so adjusted as to normally prevent access of air from said valve-box into the correspondingr air-pressu re chamber when closed. As shown, the said valve-stemf10 joins or is integral with a rod f, which extends downwardly through the floor of the valve-box F to a point near the lower extremity of the water-delivery pipe D'. Obviously when air is admitted to one of the chambers .of the valve-box the pressure thereof will normally act to hold the valve]LAG therein closed. Owing to the construction described, however, the upward and downward pressure of the air on the two valves f fl is approximately equal, and for this reason it requires but slight force to lift said valves from the valve-seatsfi and to hold the same elevated therefrom to permit passage of air therethrough, as indicated in Fig. 2. Automatic means are provided for moving said balanced valves f j, as follows: The valverodf11 is provided at its upper part with an adjustable stop f. ln close proximity to the lower Hoorf2 of the valve-box a similar adjustable stop f1* is provided. A float G is adjustably positioned to slide up and down on the valve-rod fu as the water-ievel rises and lowers and is shown in its uppermost position in full lines in Fig. 2 in one chamber, while the corresponding Iloat in the other chamber is shownin said Fig. 2 in dotted lines. Acounterbalancing-weight G is hung i 011 one end of a lever g, the other end of the lever being pivotally engaged with the valverod fll at y', as shown. This lever g is pivotally suspended on any suitable arm or bracket, as gi". As illustrated in Fig. 2, said weight G acts normally to balance the weight of the valves f fh, thereby permitting the opening and closing of the same to bc regulated by the movement of said floats on said valve-stem, as follows: As the water or liquid to be pumped falls lower in said air-pressure chamber l)2 at the point of lowest level the lower end of the doat G strikes and rests upon the stopf, thereby drawing the valverod f downwardly, closing the valve fl' and shutting off the influx of air to the chamber Dtfrom the valve-box. At the same moment the water rising in the air-pressure chamber D has reached its highest level and the float on that side of lthe device comes in contact with its stopf? the valve-rodf11 in the chamber D is raised and the valve f thereby opened to admit air under pressure to said chamber D3 from the valve-box F.

My device, so far as explained, operates as follows: Air is forced into one of said airpressure chambers of the pump-barrel from the air-receptacle C, thereby causing downward pressure on the surface of the water in said barrel and forcing the same upwardly through the valves c' c3 in the delivery-pipe from that side of the barrel-chamber. This continues until the float G has reached a point where the lower end thereof comes in contact with the stop f on the rod fu. The balanced valve f is now drawn downwardly and closed. The action of the force-pump is then transferred to the other side of the pump-barrel, air under pressure being discharged thereinto through the balanced valve fd, which was raised by the float (i in the other chamber bythe action of the float coming in contact with the stop f12 on the rodf11 at the same moment that the float G in the tirstmentioned chamber comes in contact with the lowermost stop. The action is thus alternated back and forward, air being alternately forced into first one chamber and then the other, thereby causing a steady upward movement of the iiuid in the delivery-pipe D.

For the purpose of relieving the pressure in the air-pressure chamber after the Water has been expelled therefrom and also for the purpose of enabling said pressure to be utilized to some extent in the pumping operation my device is provided with connections whereby said air under pressure may be delivered back into the intake-pipe of the air-pump B, which connections are as follows: Rigidly secured in the top wall or cover f of the valvebox and each communicating with one of said chambers therein are the pipes Il II, which pipes lead upwardly from said valve-box F and open at their upperends into the intakepipe l) of the air-pump B. Said pipes H H are provided near their upper extremities each with a valve, (indicated, respectively, by

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h h.) As herein shown, said valves are rotary three-way val ves. Communicating with said air-pressure tank C is the air-delivery pipe c, which extends to a convenient point between said valves and is provided at its extremity with a transverse pipe c', coupled thereto by means of a T-coupling c2, the ends of said pipe c communicating with said valves h or 7L. As shown, said valves h h consist of a valve-chamber provided with an internal valve-closure h2, adapted in one position to close the inlet into the valve-chamber from the pipe c and to permit unobstructed passage of the air upwardly through the pipes II or II to the suction-pipe b of the air-pump B and in its other position to close the exit leading therefrom to the suction-pipe of the pump and to permit unobstructed passage of air from the pipe c through said valve-chamber and downwardly through said pipe II or II to the valve-box and thence to the airpressure chamber in the pump-barrel.

Automatic means are provided for adjusting the valve-closures h2 so that when one of said closures is in position to permit free flow of the air from one of the chambers of the valve-box tothe suction-pipe of the pump the other thereof is so adjusted as to permit the inow of air from thc air-pressure tank to the other chamber of the valve-box and thence to the airpressure chamber of the pumpbar rel. As illustrated in Fig. G, said adjusting means comprise a cylinder I, located in close proximity to and between said valves h h, preferably located horizontally between said pipes H II. Said cylinder I is provided with a piston i, located upon a piston-rod the ends i? of which extend outwardly through the cylinder heads, as shown. Said outer ends t2 are each provided with a longitudinal slot adapted to receive a pivot-pin Said valve-closures Itg are each secured upon a rock-shaft h3, one end of which projects beyond the outer wall of the valve-casing and carries thereon a lever or crank arm h4. The free ends of the arms 7L4 714 are pivotally secured to the slotted ends of the piston-rod by the pivot-pins i3, as shown in Figs. l and 6. It will be noticed that the lower end of each crank-arm h1 is slotted at 7i to permit of vertical movement of the arm with respect to said pivot-pin and the end of the piston-rod. Connected to and communicating with each of the air-pressure pipes II H are relatively small pipes J J, the outerend of each of which com mnnicates with the air-inlet passage ofthe ports of the cylinder I remote therefrom, or, in other words, as shown, the pipe J communicates with the air-pressure pipe H at one end and communicates with that port of the cylinder I adjacent to the pipe II, and likewise the pipe J at one end communicates with the pipe II and opens at its other end into the cylinder I at the port adjacent to the pipe H, the pipes J J' thus crossing, as shown in Fig. t. The pipes .I J will be of small size usually and will be provided each with a handvalve j, whereby the amount of air permitted to ow therethrough at a given pressure in a given time may be adjusted at will by the operator. The operation of this part of my device is as follows: Vhen the valves h2 are adjusted, one to close the exit through the suction-pipe B and the other to close the inlet from the air-pressure pipe c, and the piston is moved tothe end of the cylinder I adjacent to the valve closing the inlet from the pressure-pipe, and the crank-arms h4 positioned as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, the apparatus will be found to be adjusted to permit free flow of air from the pressure-tank into the air-pressure chamber D3 of the pumpbarrel, that being the chamber connected with the pipe H. The other air-pressure chamber D2 will then be in open communication with the suction-pipe b, and any air under pressure therein will immediately exert its pressure to the pump, thereby greatly facilitating the process of compressing the air in the pressure-tank C. The apparatus now being in operation, the fluid is forced downwardly by the air-pressure in the air-pressure chamber D3 and an upward ow of water is caused to fiow through the delivery-pipe D. As the pressure increases in the pipe H and the airpressure chamber, causing the water to be forced downwardly therein, a portion of the air flows through the small pipe J into the cylinder I and slowly moves the piston t' from the position indicated in Fig. 6 toward the opposite end of the cylinder I, producing a correspondingly slow movement inthe valves 71,2, which movement continues until the float- G has reached its lowest point,or,in other words, comes in contact with the stop ,/'13 on the lower end of the rod f, and thereby closing the valve f. The pressure above said valve is thereby suddenly augmented, with the effect that pressure behind said piston t' forces the same to the extremity of the cylinder I, there by instantly shifting said valves 7b2 to admit air into the chamber D2 and to permit the flow of compressed air from the chamber D3 to the suction-pipe of the pump. At the moment this change in position is effected in the valves h2 if the mechanism is properly adj usted the fioat G comes in contact with the stopf12 on the rod f on that side of the pump, thereby lifting the balanced inlet-valvef" and permitting air from the pressure-pipe c to flow through the valve 7L downwardly in the pipe H and through said balanced valve fb into the air-pressure chamber D2, which at that moment is full of water. This operation is repeated, the compressed air from the pressure-tank C and pump B being forced first into one air-pressure chamber and then into the other alternately until the water reaches the lowest level desired, the air previously compressed and used in the other air-pressure chamber flowing directly into the intake-pipe of the pump to be again forced through the pressure-tank C. This is a matter of great importance, inasmuch as the energy of the IOS IIO

that it will open to admit air to the said intake or suction pipe l), and thereby replenish any loss that may arise from leakage or from absorption bythe water. This valve will obviously also be found to be useful when commencing pumping operation.

It will of course be understood without further illustration or description that while I have shown a single pump a plurality of pumps may be connected with a single compressor and tank-that is, may be connected in series-as desired. It will also be manifest that my invention is not limited to the various details of construction herein illustrated when separately considered, since the invention is broad and comprehensive in scope.

I claim as my inventionl. In a pu mping apparatus, a motor, an airpump, an air-pressure tank, operative connections between the same, a pump-barrel having a longitudinal partition dividing the same into two unconnected chambers, each of which is provided at its lower end with inwardly-opening valves, adelivery-pipehaving its lower or intake end located near the bottom of said pump-barrel, openings in said delivery-pipe communicating with each chamber, inwardly-opening valves on said openings, a valve-box located at the top of said pump-barrel and provided with chambers correspondingtothesubjacent barrel-chambers, valve communications between the same, opening inwardly from said pump-barrel and operated by the changing level of liquid within said pump-barrel, valve communications connecting each chamber of the valvebox with the like chamber of said pump-barrel, one of said valves being a balanced valve adapted to be operated by the changing level of the liquid within the pump chamber, valved pipes or conduits from each chamber of said valve-box to the pressure-pipe of said pump and to the suction-pipe thereof, means for operating the valves in said pipes whereby each chamber ot said valve-box is in open communication with the pressure-pipe of said pump when the balanced valve is open and whereby the same is in open communication with the suction-pipe of said pump when said balanced valve is closed.

2. In a pumping apparatus, a longitudinally chambered pump barrel provided in each chamber with inwardly-opening valves, a delivery-pipe communicating at its lower end with each ot' said chambers, a valve-box located on the pump-barrel chambered to correspond with the subjacent barrel-chambers, a pl urality of inwardlybpening valves in each of said valve-box chambers, one being a balanced valve, a valve-stem extending downwardly from said balanced valve into the pump-barrel approximately to the bottom thereof and being provided with adjustable stops at points marking the highest andlowest level of the liquid in said chamber when said pump is operated, a vertically-movable iioat adapted to slide on said rod to open and close said valve by contact with the said stops, and a weight connected with the balanced-valve stem adapted to balance the weight of the valve and hold it in its adjusted position until actuated by the float.

3. In a pumping apparatus, a pump-barrel provided with unconnected longitudinal chambers, a valve-box located at the top of said pump-barrel and having chambers to correspond therewith, each of said valve-box chambers being provided with a plurality of inwardly-opening valves, one of which is a balanced valve, and each being also provided with a valve stem or rod, extending downwardly in the corresponding pump-barrel chamber, stops adjustably located on said valve stem or rod at points which mark approx imately the highest and lowest level of liquid in said pump when the same is in operation, a loat having sliding engagement with said rod and adapted to open and close said valves by contact with said stops, a counterbalance for the Weight of said valve and stem, comprising a lever pivoted at its middle part and engaging with one of its ends said valve-stem or rod and having a eounterbalance-weight on the other end.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day ot' May, A. D. 1900.

EDWARD M. LAING.

Witnesses TAYLOR E. BROWN, GERTRUDE BRYCE.

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